1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modular connector assembly for an electronic appliance, more particularly to a modular connector assembly which can be connected electrically to an electronic component of the electronic appliance without the need for forming a printed circuit on a main circuit board of the electronic appliance.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates the connection between a conventional RJ11/RJ45 electrical connector 3 and a mini peripheral component interconnect (mini PCI) 2 provided on a main circuit board 1. The electrical connector 3 is suitable for mating with a complementary electrical connector 4, and is mounted on the main circuit board 1 adjacent to an edge portion of the latter by means of known soldering or surface mounting (SMT) techniques. The electrical connector 3 and the mini PCI 2 have contact terminals 31, 21 inserted through the main circuit board 1. The main circuit board 1 is provided with a printed circuit 11 for interconnecting electrically the contact terminals 21, 31 of the mini PCI 2 and the electrical connector 3.
However, to form the printed circuit 11, a layout of the circuit should be designed beforehand, and the main circuit board 1 should undergo several treatment steps which include, for example, chemical etching. The contact terminals 21, 31 of the mini PCI 2 and the electrical connector 3 are subsequently welded to the main circuit board 1 to ensure electrical connection between the contact terminals 21, 31 and the printed circuit 11. These complicate the manufacturing process of the electronic appliance. Moreover, as the printed circuit 11 is exposed from the circuit board 1, the printed circuit 11 may possibly cause static discharge and electromagnetic interference within the electronic appliance to adversely affect the functions of other electronic components in the electronic appliance.
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a modular connector assembly which can be connected electrically to an electronic component of an electronic appliance without the need for forming a printed circuit on a main circuit board of the electronic appliance.
Accordingly, the modular connector assembly of the present invention is adapted for use in an electronic appliance having an electronic component on a main circuit board, and includes a connector housing, a plurality of contact terminals, and a ribbon cable. The connector housing is made of an electrically insulating material, and is adapted to be mounted on the main circuit board. The connector housing has a front end formed with a connector mating hole, a rear end opposite to the front end, parallel top and bottom walls extending between the front and rear ends, and a vertical partition wall extending downwardly from the top wall toward the bottom wall so as to define within the connector housing a front chamber proximate to the front end and communicated with the connector mating hole, and a rear chamber proximate to the rear end. The partition wall has a lower end which is spaced apart from the bottom wall and which cooperates with the bottom wall to define a channel therebetween for communicating the front and rear chambers. The bottom wall is formed with a plurality of terminal retaining grooves within the connector housing. Each of the contact terminals has an elongated main portion extending through the channel and retained in a respective one of the retaining grooves and having front and rear ends, a resilient contact portion disposed in the front chamber and extending from the front end of the main portion toward the partition wall, and a cable connecting portion extending from the rear end of the main portion and disposed in the rear chamber. The ribbon cable extends into the rear chamber, and has one end connected electrically to the cable connecting portions of the contact terminals and the other end adapted to be connected to the electronic component on the circuit board.